Passengers were tightly packed together as a girl fainted on an overcrowded Northern train.
Craig Thompson was travelling to work on the 07.39am train from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester this morning when he witnessed another passenger fainting in the aisle. The 29-year-old said he started overheating after boarding the train at Roby, with only three carriages available.
Northern said the train operated with its scheduled number of carriages, but apologised for the "worry and concern caused by the crowded nature of the service."
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Craig told the ECHO: "I get on at Roby and it's normally quite full on the way into Manchester but not the way it's been the past two weeks. It's wall to wall people squashed together.
"A young girl this morning fainted and then someone pressed the emergency button, just as the train was moving and they've stopped the train."
Staff brought the train to a stop at Rainhill station and emergency services were called to check the passenger over.
Craig said: "I was overheating. I was really sweating and the air was really thick with everyone else's breath. I'm not surprised she collapsed.
"By the door it was so crowded you couldn't put your hands in your pocket to get your phone out. They're putting too many people on the trains and it's getting dangerous.
"That's the worst I've seen it now in the morning but of an evening when everyone is going home it's gotten bad.
"I've watched people not able to get off the train because there's that many people on there they've missed their stop."
Chris Jackson, Regional Director for Northern Trains said: "I can confirm that a medical situation occurred on one of our services between Liverpool and Crewe, via Manchester on Monday, October 17.
“Crew members responded to reports of a passenger fainting and brought the service to a stop at Rainhill station whilst waiting for emergency services to arrive.
“Whilst the train operated with its scheduled number of carriages, I do recognise and apologise for the worry and concern caused by the crowded nature of the service.
“Our services cover a vast network across the whole of the north of England and we operate more than 2,000 services a day. Every available carriage is in operation throughout the day.”
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